iHone

If I hadn’t been watching the Independent Spirit Awards on the night before this year’s Oscar ceremony, I would likely never have heard of “Starting Out in the Evening,” Andrew Wagner’s rich and beautifully realized film about the loves of an aging writer.

Leonard Schiller (Frank Langella) is a once-promising artist racing against time to complete a final novel. But his life is turned upside down by his daughter, Ariel (Lilli Taylor), and a brilliant and beautiful graduate student, Heather Wolfe (Lauren Ambrose).

On verge of her fortieth birthday, Ariel desperately wants to have a child.  She’s returned from Los Angeles to be near her father and soon rekindles an uneasy relationship with Casey (Adrian Lester), who despite his love for her has already broken her heart by his refusal to start a family.

For her part, Heather breaks into Leonard’s cloistered existence with the force of a hurricane.  In love with every word in his first two novels, she believes she can re-ignite public acclaim for his work through a critical study.

Yet despite their lengthy conversations and budding friendship, Heather can’t account for an emotional and stylistic shift that took place in the middle of his career.  She’s infatuated with the younger Leonard, not the man who secretly carries the scars of a terrible disappointment.

Based on the novel by Brian Morton, Fred Parnes’s screenplay is as emotionally true as it is intelligent.  Many years ago, I saw Frank Langella create the role of Dracula in  an acclaimed Broadway production and I’ve always enjoyed his work since then.  He’s  never been better in this film.

“Starting Out in the Evening” is about being true to the yearnings of your heart even when it means losing the people you love.  It’s also about faithfulness to one’s artistic vision, no matter where it leads you.  It’s a must see film for the artist in all of us.